Falling For The First Time
by BalletBaby5
Summary: A 15Love story. The Top Guns set out on the trip of a lifetime. Rating just to be safe. Title inspired by the Barenaked Ladies song.
1. Spoons and Suitcases

Disclaimer: I wish I owned this show. Alas, I do not.

"Is it supposed to look like this?" Tanis glanced worriedly at the lump of oatmeal sitting on her spoon. The Top Guns were all gathered around the breakfast table early that morning before practice.

"Honestly? It looks like someone barfed on your spoon," Squib said. They all groaned and Cody slapped his shoulder.

"That's disgusting!"

"Ew, oh my god, he's right," Tanis dropped the spoon into her bowl as if it was carrying some contagious disease.

"Here," Cameron offered her a piece of his toast.

"You still need to eat something."

The conversation was interrupted by Adena, running in full speed and out of breath.

"You guys! Bates and Gunnerson want to talk to us right now! You don't want to miss this! Hurry!" They all got up from the table to follow Adena, all except Cody. Adena was almost to the door when she turned back.

"Cody, what are you doing? Come on!"

"But I don't play tennis, why would they want to talk to me? You guys go ahead, it's ok." Adena ran over and grabbed Cody's arm, hauling her to her feet.

"Coach said all of us, you too."

"But-"

"No time Cody! Come on!" And they raced down the hall to Bates' office. Adena pounded on Bates' door several times before Gunnerson finally answered.

"We're back," she smiled and strode past him into the room.

"Impressive Adena. Now if only I could get you to run that fast during practice."

Bates was sitting at his desk signing some papers. They all stood near the door, unsure if they were to move.

"Come in! Sit down, make yourselves at home," Bates gestured to the chairs set out in front of him.

"So, what's going on? Are we in trouble?" Tanis asked nervously.

"Is this about the frogs? Because I swear they had nothing to do wit-" Bates cut Squib off.

"No, you are not in trouble. And I'm not sure what frogs you're talking about Mr.Furlong, but I'm sure we can discuss that a bit later. Now, I have some very big news for all of you." Adena was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"The tennis school down in Florida, Trussford Academy, is holding an interschool tournament in a week and I have been asked to send my top four players."

"You mean," a slow smile spread across Tanis's face.

"We're going to Florida!" Adena screamed with delight. The others began cheering and celebrating.

"Wait," Squib's voice halted the celebration.

"What about Cody? She gets to come too right?" Bates looked at Gunnerson and sighed.

"Here is the problem. Look, I have no objections to Miss Myers accompanying you to the tournament, Coach Gunnerson however…"

"Look, I just think sending Cody there to take pictures is not really necessary. She could be a liability," the Coach explained. Cody frowned. A liability?

"So what? She can't come?" Tanis asked.

"But her photos are important to all sorts of organizations in the school," Cameron argued. Cody could see this was going to get heated and decided to put an immediate end to the whole thing.

"Guys, it's ok, I don't mind. I don't even play tennis, someone else there will take pictures."

"No," Squib stood up and faced the two men.

"She has just as much right to go as any of us, tennis or not. She is still part of Cascadia, and you're sending representatives from Cascadia. Representatives of all kinds, academic and athletic, Cody should be able to showcase her talent just like us. And I won't go without her."

"Me neither." Adena came and stood beside him.

"Same with us," Tanis said as she and Cameron joined their team mates. Cody was shocked; she couldn't believe that they were going to forfeit a tournament on her behalf.

"They have a point," Bates agreed. They all turned to Coach Gunnerson, pleading looks on their faces. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"…Alright, Cody can go." The loud cheering erupted again and they pulled Cody into their little circle.

"These better be some impressive pictures Miss Myers."

"They will be Coach," Cody smiled.

"I promise."

"Come in! I'm almost ready!" Adena threw a few last minute things into her suitcase as Cody opened the door.

"Why couldn't we leave at a more decent hour?" she groaned. It was four o'clock in the morning and still dark outside as they were preparing to leave for Florida.

"Adena! You can't bring this much stuff! I won't have enough room in my van!" They had decided to save money by driving down to Florida, plus Tanis thought it would be more fun. Cody's dad had agreed to let them borrow the van.

"I'm not taking all of these! Just this bag," Adena pointed to her suitcase.

"What are all these for then?"

"Oh, I was just trying to see which bag could fit the most in it," Adena grinned. Cody rolled her eyes and grabbed the suitcase, heading outside.

"Here," Cody tossed the bag to Cameron when she reached the van, who loaded it into the back with the rest of the stuff. Adena was horrified.

"Be careful with that! My hair dryer is in there!"

Cody climbed into the Driver's seat as Cameron closed the trunk.

"Now, Coach Gunnerson will meet you down there in four days when competition starts. If there are any problems at all, call us here," Bates said to them through the open window.

"We'll be fine," Cody insisted, putting on her seat belt in front of him as if to prove this.

"Well, have fun then and be careful!" he nervously stepped away from the car and Cody drove around the circular driveway to Cascadia's Gates.

"Everyone ok?" she asked one last time, glancing at Squib in the passenger's seat beside her.

"Let's do this," he insisted, shooting her a smile that made her melt.

"Florida here we come!" Adena cheered as they pulled out of Cascadia and onto the open road.

Author's Note: 

Okay, this is the first chapter of hopefully many. I really love to get feedback, so please review often and tell me what you think! I am a huge fan of 15/Love and I'm really excited about this story, I think it's going to be great! Well, read and review!


	2. What We've Been Missing

Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own any of this show and still wishing that I did.

"I think they're asleep," Cody whispered to Squib, glancing into the back of the van.

"Thank God," Squib breathed a sigh of relief. They had been on the road for a few hours and the sun was just coming up. Cody glanced around; she had no idea where they were. Well, she knew they were going the right way because she had seen the sign for the town they were looking for. She just wasn't sure where they were presently. She glanced over at Squib a few moments later and noticed that he had dozed off too. The look on his face made her smile and she decided against waking him up. The sky was a brilliant palate of colours, all mixing together to create a brilliant picture on the canvas of the sky. This was too good for her to pass up.

Without a second thought, Cody pulled the van over to the side of the road and shut it off. As quietly as she could, Cody grabbed her camera and got out. Strolling across the road, she entered into the wheat field. The plants brushed up against her arms, as Cody brought the camera up to her eye. She took a few shots and then just stood there, admiring it. While she knew it was just a sunrise, it happened every day, 365 days a year, she couldn't help but wonder why she had missed it up to this point. One of nature's greatest feats had been sitting right outside of her door, every morning. And she wasn't going to miss it again.

Suddenly Squib appeared beside her.

"Hey, I thought I heard you leave," he ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, and I thought you were sleeping. I was trying not to wake you up."

"I was just resting my eyes," he answered as he rubbed his eyes.

"Well good morning sunshine," Cody laughed. Squib rolled his eyes but he was laughing too.

"What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Just enjoying the show."

"It's pretty amazing huh. Not everyday we get to see this," he gestured to the horizon.

"Yeah we don't, but we could. We never really slow down to see anything like this."

"You're feeling very fortune cookie-ish this morning," Squib joked. Now it was Cody's turn to roll her eyes at him.

"I'm sorry, you're right. We should take more time to do things like this."

"No, it's ok…It just makes me wonder, you know…what other things are we missing out on because we're to busy to see what's right there…" she trailed off. She felt his hand brush up against hers. The brief contact was enough to send a sensation through her.

"One more picture okay," she said softly. Holding the camera up, she focused the lens and felt his warm breath on her ear.

"What's it like?" he whispered.

"See for yourself," she offered him the camera, trying to ignore how close he was to her. He took it and peered through.

"This is incredible…"

"Now, put your finger on this button," Cody slid his finger over, covering his hand with hers.

"And press down…" the camera made a noise, signalling that it had taken a picture.

"Now you can remember it forever," her voice was almost a whisper. He moved the camera from his face and smiled.

"Great."

"Great," she nodded. She took another look at the sunrise.

"Well, I guess we should get going before the others wake up."

"Yeah," they headed back to the road. Squib draped his arm over her shoulders and she rested her head on his.

"You want me to drive for a bit?"

"Maybe in a couple of hours." He squeezed her shoulder and walked around to the other side of the van. She opened the door but paused, her hand resting on the handle. Turning back, Cody took one last look at the horizon; just enjoying the warmth it was giving her.

"Ready?" Squib asked. She glanced and him and then back at the sky.

"Yeah," she smiled and climbed into the Driver's seat. The van pulled back onto the road and continued its journey into the new morning.

Author's Note:

Well, there it is, another chapter. I know it was kind of boring, I was feeling reflective tonight. But have no fear, the other three will have a bigger role in the upcoming chapters. Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, I really appreciate getting feedback! Special thanks to Allybally for posting my story on the board so that everyone can enjoy it! Well, enjoy and review!


	3. Just Like Girl Scouts

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah, blah, blah.

"What do you mean we aren't on your list?" Cody asked the concierge at the Hotel.

"Exactly what I said, you do not have a room booked at this hotel."

" But we called a week ago and booked a room. Are you sure you checked under Bates? How about Myers? Or Gunnerson?" Cody pleaded.

"I checked under all of those names Miss, there is no one booked under any of them. I wish I could offer you something else, but every room in the hotel is booked. There's a business conference going on this week," the girl looked at her very sympathetically.

"Do you know of any other hotels in this area?"

"There is one about an hour and a half from here."

"Okay," Cody sighed.

"Thanks for your help."

She turned to her group of friends who were sprawled out on the lobby couches.

"So what luxurious suite did Bates book for us?" Adena asked, not moving from where she lay.

"He didn't apparently," Cody frowned. Adena's face fell.

"You mean he didn't book anything, like, at all?"

"Nothing."

"Well, is there another room we can get?" Cameron asked. Cody rubbed her forehead; this whole situation was giving her a headache.

"There's a big conference going on so they don't have anything available and the next hotel is an hour and a half from here."

"Oh, this is bad," Adena sounded like she was going to cry. They sat in silence, trying to think of what to do next.

"We can just drive the hour and a half," Cody suggested.

"It's totally out of our way and that means an extra hour and a half back here tomorrow," Tanis pointed out.

"Does anyone have a better idea?"

Surprisingly, it was Squib who piped up.

"Actually, I do."

"You cannot be serious?" Tanis sounded less than impressed.

"As a heart attack, so how about taking one for the team and helping us gather some fire wood," Squib smirked. He had remembered passing a campground about fifteen minutes before the hotel. They had pulled in and explained their situation. The guy there had been nice enough to give them one lot for a small price, some matches and a few pieces of firewood. But that wasn't going to be enough to last them the whole night.

"Guys, this is going to be so fun!" Adena chirped.

"It'll be just like Girl Scouts! We can roast marshmallows and sleep under the stars-"

"On the hard ground, with no water to take a shower or brush our teeth!" Tanis interrupted. She was not happy with this arrangement at all.

"Hey," Cameron said in a soothing tone.

"It's warm outside, there's no rain and Cody and Squib are going to go and get us some provisions. I'm sure they can get you some water so that you can brush you teeth," he rubbed Tanis' shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.

"I guess," Tanis mumbled.

"Yeah, we can definitely get you some water," Cody agreed.

"It won't be so bad, I promise," she smiled at Tanis, who gave a weak smile back. Cody knew for a fact that Tanis was deathly afraid of snakes, and she had a feeling that was the reason for her anxiety.

"Are there any other requests?" Squib asked, jingling the car keys.

"Marshmallows!" Adena shouted from the back of the site.

"Okay," Squib sighed.

"But under one condition. There will be no campfire sing alongs." Adena stuck out her tongue at him, sending the others into fits of laughter. When it subsided, they all got back to preparing the fire.

"Try and get some real food too, I'm pretty hungry," Cameron suggested.

"We'll finish building the fire while you're gone."

"Don't forget my water!" Tanis called to them as they drove away.

Cody and Squib finally pulled into the campsite an hour later. Adena, Cameron and Tanis were already sitting around a fire.

"What took so long? Were you growing the food?" Tanis quipped.

"Oh, use your witty remarks now, but wait until you see what we got," Squib retorted.

"Yeah, we told the guy who owned the grocery store our whole story and he felt so bad that he loaned us these!" Cody threw four sleeping bags, all bundled up, onto the grass.

"Alright!" Cameron said, clearly happy that he was not going to have to sleep on the grass.

"What else? Did you get the marshmallows?" Adena asked excitedly.

"Two bags," Squib tossed them at her.

"And for Tanis," Cody disappeared inside the van for a moment and came out with a large package.

"An entire case of water for you to brush your teeth with and some shampoo so you can wash you hair in the lake or the campground showers tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," for the first time all night, Tanis showed a genuine smile.

"Oh but just wait my friends, that's not all," Squib sounded like the announcer on 'The Price Is Right'.

"We also got chips, cookies, bread, pop tarts, peanut butter, apples, Gatorade, cereal, batteries, two flashlights, pickles, and some toilet paper for the ladies." Both Cody and Squib looked very impressed with themselves.

"Wait, pickles?" Adena asked.

"Oh," Squib gave a knowing smirk.

"Those are for later, something special."

"Great," Adena muttered.

Author's Note:

Okay, so it's a little drawn out, but don't you want to know what the pickles are for! To the reviewer who said that Cody was 15, I think she is 16 on the show. If I am wrong, which is very possible, this story is supposed to take place when they are around 16 or 17, so it would be further than the show. I really appreciate people's reviews! It is always good to get feedback. Well, enjoy! And let me know if you have any ideas, questions, concerns, etc! You guys are awesome!


	4. Babylon

Disclaimer: Oh man, I sooooo wish I owned this show!

The song in this chapter is Babylon by David Gray, I recommend listening to it while you read.

"Mmmmm, I can't believe I missed out on these as a kid. Forget tennis, I sooooo would have joined Girl Scouts if I had known about this!" Adena licked the last of the marshmallow off her fingers. It was around ten o'clock and they were all sitting around the campfire. Most of the food had been devoured but no one was anywhere near ready to fall asleep.

"So Squib, when are you gonna tell us what the pickles are for?" Cameron asked.

"In due time my friend," the grin on Squib's face spoke volumes.

"Or," Cameron said thoughtfully.

"We could always just have Tanis beat it out of you."

"Then again, now seems like the perfect time," Squib went to the van and came back with the large jar of pickles.

"Thought maybe we would have a bit of fun tonight. Introducing the fabulous, somewhat modified game of…drum roll please Cody…I'VE NEVER!"

Tanis rolled her eyes and the look on Adena's face read blank.

"What is this? Explain please," she requested.

"Well," Squib started, kneeling down next to Adena.

"It's quite simple really. We go around in a circle and someone starts by saying something that they've never done that they think other people have done. All the people who have done it, have to a drink."

"Wait, a drink of what?" Squib held up the pickle jar in front of her face. The look on her face was one of utter disgust.

"Please tell me you're kidding!"

"Afraid not princess," Squib couldn't help the smile that was spreading across his face. He moved and sat beside Cody who also looked a bit doubtful.

"I don't want you guys throwing up in my car tomorrow."

"Will you guys relax? It's perfectly fine; no one is going to get sick. But on the _rare _chance that you are feeling sick, you can stop playing," Squib insisted. He gave Cody the sad puppy face that he knew she couldn't resist. Finally, she caved.

"Okay, fine. I'm in."

"Any other objections? No? Okay good, let's get this started. Who wants to start?" they looked around the circle at each other.

"I'll go," Cameron volunteered. Squib passed the jar across the fire to him and Cameron paused for a moment, thinking.

"I've never been to Disney World," he admitted.

"Really?" Cody was shocked.

"I thought you guys were rich?" Squib argued. Cameron gave a shrug.

"That doesn't mean anything. So who's drinking?" Cody was the only one who raised her hand.

"Oh come on guys! I can't be the only one!"

"You are the honorary first," Cameron laughed, passing her the jar. Cody twisted the lid off and made a face as the scent hit her nose. Wincing as she brought the jar to her lips, she took a sip and quickly passed the jar to Tanis as the others laughed.

"That's disgusting," Cody wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, trying to get rid of the remnants. Tanis stared at the jar carefully.

"I've never been in a boat."

Cody glanced at Squib and smiled slightly, not minding so much this time as the jar was passed to her again. Squib drank too, as well as Cameron and Adena. Cody thought about going to get her camera from the car, just so she could capture their faces, but she doubted that she would ever forget it. After about another half hour of questions, Squib began to whine.

"This is getting boring, no one is getting anything good out of anyone!" It was now Adena's turn and he stared at her, hope on his face.

"Come on Adena, let's get the dirt."

Adena thought for a moment, considering her options. She smiled and held up the jar proudly.

"I've never kissed anyone in this circle." They all looked guiltily around the circle.

"So?" She smirked.

"Who's drinking?"

Slowly, Squib and Cody raised their hands.

"Oh come on Tanis," Squib complained.

"If I'm drinking, then so are you." Tanis shot him a dirty look.

"Wait a minute, I get them," Cameron said, pointing at Cody and Squib.

"But unless you kissed Cody…" he trailed off. Tanis focused her eyes on the ground, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"I don't believe this," Cameron muttered.

"It's not what you think," she insisted, touching his shoulder. He shook her off.

"You kissed Squib! I'm pretty sure that's what I'm thinking!"

"Wait? What!" Adena demanded. From the look on Cody's face, she hadn't known either.

"I need a walk," Cameron got up and angrily stalked off.

"Cameron wait!" Tanis took off after him, leaving the other three in silence. Cody and Adena stared at Squib who was nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"She was teaching me how to box a while ago. It just happened, it didn't mean anything!" he insisted. Still no one spoke. Adena looked at Cody.

"Well…I guess the game is over…I'm gonna go use the bathrooms…or outhouses or…whatever," and she scampered off in the direction that Tanis and Cameron had gone moments earlier. Cody said nothing still, staring at the fire as if it would give her the answers.

"Cody?" she knew what he was asking her.

"I'm not mad," her voice was monotone, not what he was used to.

"Are you sure?" Squib could tell that she was lying.

"Why would I be?" Cody asked, getting up and walking to the van. She pulled a portable radio out from under the seat.

"It's not like there's anything going on, we're not going out."

"So you're really not mad?" he sounded confused.

"Nope, you can kiss whoever you want! Although, I didn't know you had feelings for Tanis, that is a surprise."

"I didn't! I don't! It just kinda happened! I stopped it though and I told her that I didn't think of her that way!" Squib was desperately grasping for anything that would make Cody understand. He was upset that she was acting like this didn't matter to her, pretending to ignore that there was something going on between them. She had acted like she was okay with it when she questioned him about Tanis back when it happened. That bothered him too. But her face softened slightly after he explained and he could see the confusion appear on it.

"I need to use the bathroom too," Cody put the radio on the grass next to the sleeping bags and walked away, leaving him to watch her retreating back.

Cody returned twenty minutes later after clearing her head. The radio was on softly and the others were all spread out around the fire in their sleeping bags. Adena was between Cameron and Tanis, who were still far away from each other despite the barrier. Squib was still sitting in front of the fire and glanced up at her as she approached.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Cody asked.

"Well, there's only one sleeping bag left and you've been driving all day, so you should take it. I'll sleep in the car tomorrow," He insisted. Cody sighed and went over to where the sleeping bag lay. Unrolling it, she unzipped the bundle and laid it out on the grass, revealing a large blanket. He looked at her questioningly, not wanting to assume anything.

"We all need to rest. We can both lie on the blanket," Cody said. Squib nodded and went and lay down as Cody situated herself at the opposite end. The only sound amidst their silence was the radio in the background.

_Friday night I'm going nowhere_

_All the lights are changing green to red_

_Turning over TV stations_

_Situations running through my head_

_Well looking back through time_

_You know it's clear that I've been blind_

_I've been a fool_

_To ever open up my heart_

_To all that jealousy, that bitterness, that ridicule_

Cody rested her head on her arm and felt tears prick her eyes as she listened to the words. She did care that he had kissed Tanis, of course she did.

_Saturday I'm running wild_

_And all the lights are changing red to green_

_Moving through the crowd I'm pushing_

_Chemicals all rushing through my bloodstream_

_Only wish that you were here_

_You know I'm seeing it so clear_

_I've been afraid_

_To tell you how I really feel_

_Admit to some of those bad mistakes I've made_

He wished that he could take it all back, the whole lot of it. While Squib knew that nothing had happened between him and Tanis, he wasn't sure that Cody did.

_If you want it_

_Come and get it_

_Crying out loud_

_The love that I was_

_Giving you was_

_Never in doubt_

_Let go your heart_

_Let go your head_

_And feel it now_

_Babylon, Babylon_

She knew that he was probably telling the truth about what had happened between them, but still, she couldn't believe that it had happened in the first place. But she couldn't even very well be mad, it's not like there was something established between them.

_Sunday all the lights of London_

_Shining , Sky is fading red to blue_

_I'm kicking through the Autumn leaves_

_And wondering where it is you might be going to_

He saw her shiver slightly and moved cautiously towards her.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Are you cold?"

"A little," she confessed. They were after all, the only ones lying in the open air with no covers. Cody felt him move behind her and pull her to him, her back against his chest with his arm draped over her waist. He felt her tense slightly, and was relieved when moments later sherelaxed, just as he was considering going back to his side of the blanket.

_Turning back for home_

_You know I'm feeling so alone_

_I can't believe_

_Climbing on the stair_

_I turn around to see you smiling there_

_In front of me_

"You know what this reminds me of?" he asked, enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms. A small smile crossed her face, he knew it was there, even if he couldn't see it.

"The boat," she answered. Cody was always being reminded of that night, even little things made her think about it. Part of her wished that it had all turned out differently in the end.

_If you want it_

_Come and get it_

_Crying out loud_

_The love that I was_

_Giving you was_

_Never in doubt_

_And feel it now_

"Hey," his breath was warm on her face.

"I'm sorry."

"I know," she whispered.

And the song played on.

_Let go your heart_

_Let go your head_

_And feel it now_

_Let go your heart_

_Let go your head_

_And feel it now_

_Let go your heart_

_Let go your head_

_And feel it now_

_Let go your heart_

_Let go your head_

_And feel it now_

_Babylon, Babylon, Babylon_

Author's Note:

Wow, that was long! I'm making up for my lack of updating the last few days. Thank you soooooooo much for the reviews! You guys are great! Especially Allybally for continuing to post my story for the enjoyment of everyone and dedicating a chapter of her story to me after my accident, you are so sweet! I was feeling awful the day that I read it and it totally made me feel better! I really do appreciate the support! In case anyone is wondering why the certain choice of song, I heard it today when I was starting to write this chapter and it just felt like it somehow belonged in this chapter. I really do recommend that you listen to it while reading that part, it is much more effective. Well, hope you all liked it and please review so I know what you think! I also appreciate the suggestions that some of you have sent me! I will try to use them if I can! Enjoy!


	5. Snakes Amoungst the Aftermath

Disclaimer: sigh> I only wish I owned this show, then it would mean that I had succeeded at something in life.

"Adena, could you please ask Cameron to pass the salt," Tanis said, fully aware that Cameron was only sitting on the other side of Adena.

"Did you hear that?" Adena asked.

"Hear what?" Cameron glanced around, acting totally oblivious to what was going on.

"Tanis wants you to pass her the salt."

"Well, why don't you tell Tanis to ask Squib if he would mind giving her what she wants, since he's already so good at it," the tone in Cameron's voice proved that his anger was still fresh.

"Come on man, you know it's not like that," Squib explained. They had stopped for lunch at a little diner that Adena had seen. She claimed that this was the kind of place that everyone in the movies stopped on a road trip, and of all people, she was the really the only one who would know that kind of thing.

"What's that I hear?" Cameron asked.

"Must be the wind."

"Cameron please," Cody noticed that his face softened when she spoke to him. He knew that she was in the same situation that he was, except she was still talking to people.

"Sorry Cody. Did you want something?" he spoke to her with kind tones. Cody looked at him sympathetically. She felt for him, they had all known that he had feelings for Tanis. But those two were always playing each other hot and cold.

"I want us to put all of this aside until we get to Florida and we can sort this out there."

" I can't do that," Cameron focused his eyes on his plate. He'd barely touched the food he'd ordered.

"I said I was sorry already!" Squib insisted.

"Don't," Cody gave him a look that told him to back off for his own safety.

"I have to use the bathroom before we go," Cameron said, tossing his money on table and making his exit.

"Cameron wait," Cody called after him.

"Still waiting for the salt!" Tanis whined.

"Here! Here's your stupid salt!" Cody slammed the salt down in front of her before storming out. She stepped outside and felt the sunlight stream onto her face. Running a hand through her hair, Cody took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm herself down. While she and Squib had sort of made up the night before, Cody was still hurting. She couldn't believe that he had kissed Tanis and then lied to her about it. What else was he hiding from her? Part of her wished that she had never agreed to play the game in the first place; maybe she was better off not knowing. Cody began to feel guilty about yelling at Tanis, she knew she shouldn't be mad at her. It wasn't like Squib belonged to her; they were both free to do whatever they wanted. But, could Tanis really have not even suspected that something was going on between her and Squib?

Cody never got the chance to ponder this any further because the diner door opened and out they came. Cameron got into the back seat and Tanis joined Adena in the middle seats, the two of them still completely ignoring each other. Squib came and stood next to Cody, watching the scene unfold.

"I should go and pay so we can go," Cody said. Squib shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, I got it."

"Well, let me give you the money then," she reached for the bills in her front pocket.

"Cody no, it's the least I can do," Squib insisted, grabbing her arm to stop her. She glanced down at his arm and then back up at his face. He quickly took his hand away.

"Sorry."

"Thanks, I mean, for lunch, you know," she stuttered. What was wrong with her? She went to walk back to the van, but he moved to stand in front of her.

"Cody, I really am sorry. It didn't mean anything, you have to know that," he stood very close to her and spoke in a hushed tone, as if he was afraid that the others would hear him across the parking lot.

"I know," she nodded, swallowing softly.

"I don't want things to change between us," he confessed.

"It's too late," she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"They already have."

"Cody," his voice was a desperate whisper. She blinked furiously, until the tears disappeared and mustered the best smile she could manage.

"We should get going," she stepped around him and walked to the van, leaving him alone with his mistakes.

That night, they arrived at their hotel, finding their rooms without a hassle. They all went off to their separate ways in silence. Adena couldn't believe that it had come to this. Sure, they all had their tiffs once in a while, but not like this. Normally, a couple of hours and they would makeup. She felt bad that she had asked that question; she was just trying to make the game a little more fun. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen. The boys dropped their stuff in the door and went their separate ways. Once inside the tiny room, Tanis disappeared into the bathroom to brush her teeth and Cody went out onto the balcony, leaving Adena alone with the tv.

Cody stared out at the city, the bright lights creating a pattern of dots for her. She raised her camera and snapped a picture. The air was hot and sticky as she breathed in the smell of the heat. It was nights like this that Cody loved, you could smell the remnants of the day still lingering in the air, mixing with the theories of what tomorrow could be. But tonight it was shadowed with loneliness. They had driven the last five hours from the diner to the hotel, in silence. Cody couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. She wished that she could somehow get Cameron and Tanis talking again.

A high-pitched scream pierced the air, startling her. Cody ran back inside to find Adena standing on top of the bed and Tanison the floor standingfrozen with a snake in front of her.

"Cody, do something!" Tanis was nearly in tears. Just then, the door opened and in came Cameron.

"What's going on?" he asked, clearly confused by the scene that had been created.

"Snake! It was inside one of the bags from the van!" Adena pointed from atop the bed.

"Cameron help, please," Tanis pleaded, her voice was quiet and shaking uncontrollably. There were tears rolling down her cheeks as she stood, paralysed. The way Cameron reacted;no onewould have thought that there had never been a fight. He immediately tried to calm Tanis down, and grabbed the empty wastebasket that was next to him near the door.

"Okay…now, don't…move…" he breathed as he inched towards the snake, posed to strike at it. Tanis squeezed her eyes shut as Cameron jumped forward, covering the snake with the basket.

"Quick, pass me the breakfast menu!" he shouted at Cody. Taking it from her, he shoved it under the basket on the floor. Holding the menu on tightly to seal off the opening, Cameron flipped the basket over and ran to the balcony, dumping the snake over the edge onto the grass below. Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief and Cody even began to laugh. Adena and Cameron joined her, but Tanis didn't move from where she stood.

"Hey," Cameron went and stood in front of her, grasping her shoulders.

"You okay?" she nodded slowly and her eyes filled with tears again. Tanis couldn't help but feel guily about how she had treated Cameron, especially after what he had just done for her despite his current feelings.

"Cameron, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I never meant to hurt you, it didn't mean anything."

"Hey," he pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back.

"It's ok. I was just…a little shocked that all." Cameron pulled back so he could see her face.

"I mean, come on, you and Squib?"

"That's what I said," Tanis laughed.

"I really am sorry," she wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"It's okay. Let's go get you some water," and he led her out of the room. Cody watched them go just as Squib came through the door.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You don't even want to know," Adena sighed.

"God, you people are exhausting!"

Cody laughed and snapped a picture of Adena. One more day to go, she told herself, one more day.

Author's Note:

Okay, the second half was kind of stupid, I know. But it sounded much better in my head. If you guys hate it, let me know, I can take it. I just wanted to make the chapter a little longer and solve this thing between Tanis and Cameron since they will be arriving in Florida in the next chapter and that's where the new fun starts. I'm soooo happy that so many of you liked the last chapter! I really appreciate all the reviews you guys have been sending out! They're awesome, you guys are awesome! Even all you people on the message board, I do go on and read what you guys write! Well, let me know what you think! Enjoy!


	6. War of the Jace

Disclaimer: Yeah, so don't own this show.

The heat was stifling. They all knew that it was going to be hot; this was Florida for crying out loud, it was always hot. But this was just unbearable.

"Remind we why we turned the air conditioner off?" Adena asked, he eyes closed, trying to concentrate on thinking about cold things.

"Saves gas," Cody insisted. Her bare feet were sitting on the dashboard and her hand was drifting along outside the window. Adena let out a whimper, fingering her hair, which was starting to lose its usual bounce.

"Relax Adena," Squib called from the driver's seat. He tipped his shades down a bit to glance at the sign they were about to pass.

"We're here," he perched the glasses back on his nose and turned into a long driveway. The large 'Trussford Academy' sign was blue and carved out of beach wood. Squib followed the tournament signs to the parking lot.

"Ugh, get me out of here," Adena whined, jumping out of the van before Squib even had a chance to turn it off. Cameron rolled his eyes as he and Tanis followed her, hand in hand. Cody smiled to herself as she watched them, they had been inseperable since the snake incident.Everything was back to normal, well, almost everything.They were beginning to unload their bags out of the trunk when they were approached by ablack haired man in a dark suit.

"Hi there, Joe Harkin, President of Trussford Academy," he reached out his hand to Squib, who shook it firmly. So this was their Bates, good to know.

"Gary Furlong, this is Tanis McTaggart, Cameron White, Adena Stiles, and Cody Myers," he motioned to the others behind him.

"We're the team from Cascadia."

"Ah, Cascadia! You must be the kids Harold is always bragging about, we're very excited to have players of your calibre here for the tournament. I'm sure you'll give our kids a run for their money, it should be an interesting competition," he said with a smirk. Squib wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or threatened.

"Well, we should get you kids settled. Hey!" he shouted to two kids across the parking lot and motioned them to come over.

"What's up El Presidante?" the one guy joked as he came and stood beside Harkin. He was stereotypical surfer kid, tanned and built with curly blond hair, he even had the outfit down. Adena bit her bottom lip as she noticed his bright blue eyes; she liked Florida already.

"These are the students from Cascadia Academy. This is Jace Miller and Carrie Pearson," the girl with the clipboard and the braidsnodded at them.

"Jace and Carrie will be your student guides for the duration of your time here, so if you have any questions they will be happy to help you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other students to greet," and he strode off, waving at another group just coming in.

"So Cascadia huh," Jace said.

"Harkin is always talking about you guys."

" Do either of you know if our coach is here yet?" Cameron asked, totally ignoring his statement. He wasn't sure that Bates had helped them by building them up to their opponents. It was one thing to psyche your opponent out, it was something totally different to lie.

"His name's Gunnerson," Tanis added. Carrie began flipping through the papers on her clipboard.

"Gunnerson…Gunnerson…oh yeah, here he is, he checked in about an hour ago. He asked me to make sure I had court time for you five."

"Oh not for me," Cody said. Carrie gave her a strange look.

"I'm not here to play," she explained.

"Cody's our resident photographer," Squib grinned, draping his arm over her shoulder.

"Need a model? I'm always available," Jace winked at her. Cody laughed, he reminded her of Rick.

"What Jace means," Carrie punched him in the shoulder.

"Is that we'll show you where your rooms are and let you know when your court time is."

When the girls reached their room, Adena flopped down on the bed. Practice wasn't for another hour and that meant she had another hour to cool off.

"Adena, could you not leave your bag right in the doorway?" Tanis requested, kicking it out of the way.

"Everything okay here ladies?" Jace appeared in the doorway.

"Uh huh, yeah, great!" Adena shot up on the bed and smiled.

"Well, good. Let me know if there's anything I can do…uh…" he tapped the frame of the door, trying to remember her name.

"Adena," she blurted out.

"Right, Adena," he nodded and gave a slight wave as he disappeared down the hall. Cody and Tanis looked at each other and then at Adena.

"What was that?" Cody asked, opening her duffel bag and taking out a role of film.

"What was what?" Adena asked as Cody loaded the film into her camera.

"My name's Adena," Tanis giggled, twirling her hair and trying her best to inpersonate Adena.

"You know what you can do for me Jace, yo-"

"Tanis!" Adena shrieked, chucking a pillow at her.

"Oh, you did not just do that!" Tanis grabbed her own pillow and began to attack Adena, who ran across the room to grab her own pillow and fight back. Cody started to snap pictures of the two of them until they turned and threw a pillow at her.

"Hey!" she shouted and put her camera down just as they began to pelt her with their pillows.

By the time Squib and Cameron arrived after hearing the noise through the wall that separated their rooms, it had turned into an all out war.

"What's going on!" Cameron shouted, he and Squib looking both confused and scared by what they were witnessing.

"Look out!" Adena yelled, but it was too late. A pillow hit Squib square in the side of the face. He stumbled back a little and when he finally found his bearings, he realized it was Cody who had hit him. The other two took the opportunity to catch Cameron off guard and got him as well.

"You're done," Squib grinned and just like that, he and Cameron were involved in the madness The five of them assaulted each other with pillows, screaming and laughing. Cody tried to hit Squib again, but he was quicker this time. He ducked, the pillow just missing his head, and grabbed her waist, throwing her over his shoulder fireman style.

"Come on Cody, we're going to go take a trip down the hall to the showers," Squib laughed.

"Squib no! Adena! Tanis! Help!" she struggled in vain, shouting for the two girls who were busy fighting off Cameron. Squib was almost to the door, when it flew open to reveal,

"Coach Gunnerson…" Squib nearly choked. Still upside down, Cody peeked her head out from behind his back.

"Hey…Coach…"

"What is going on here!" Gunnerson bellowed, halting the other three who hadn't seen him come in. Everyone was frozen on the spot.

"Put her down Mr. Furlong!" Squib immediately dropped Cody onto the floor. She yelped and shot him a dirty look. Adena bit her lip and closed her eyes, doing everything in her power not to laugh, as were Tanis and Cameron. But it was Tanis who broke first, letting out a small snort, which turned into full-blown laughter from the three of them. Gunnerson sighed and shook his head.

"I want to see the five of you on my court in fifteen minutes!" he shouted over their laughter before throwing up his hands and leaving the room, smiling to himself as he closed the door behind him.

Author's Note:

Well, we're in Florida folks! We have two new characters which are sure to stir things up and trust me, the good times are about to get better! I'm just getting warmed up! Sorry for the long time between chapters and the shortness of this one, I'm having a bit of writer's block. I know where I want this to go, I'm just struggling to get it there! But I love that you guys are loving this! If that made any sense at all! The reviews and the posting are great! I love hearing what you think! I will try to be quick and put up a longer chapter next time! Hang in there, you guys are fabulous! And YAY I joined the board! Go me! LOL okay, I'm officially a loser! Well, enjoy and I hope you all like it!


	7. Feel The Wave

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, per usual.

_'Bigger, faster, stronger. Bigger, faster, stronger.'_

Adena repeated Gunnersons' mantra in her head as she practiced. She could feel the sweat seeping from her pores, running down her face.

_'Have to win, have to be better, have to make this right. You can change this, do it for them. They should be here, do it for them.'_

She swung at the ball with all of her might, hitting it back and forth, back and forth; her heart racing as she fought to keep up. Finally, she'd had enough, and she let the ball drop. Still catching her breath, she went and put her racquet in her bag.

"Hey guys," Adena started and then realized that she was talking to herself. She glanced around and found Cody and Squib sitting at the top of the bleachers, Cody explaining something on her camera to him. One of these days they'll figure it out, she told herself. Her eyes continued their search, finding Tanis standing outside the fence of the court. Adena was about to call out to her when Cameron appeared and they left together. She watched their retreating backs, hands grasped and laughing.

"Right, never mind," she sighed. Adena could not recall when she had ever felt lonelier. She knew they didn't mean to do it to her, but she always felt like a third wheel. It didn't used to feel like this, back when…when theother twohad been here. But they weren't here and she had apparently missed the memo that declared it was 'couple hour'. She grabbed her bag and headed back across the lawn towards the dorms. She was slightly hurt that they had just forgotten about her, figuring she would find something to do. She was mulling over this as she climbed the steps and nearly collided with someone who was on their way down.

"Adena, hey."

"Oh, Jace, hi. Hey, you remembered," she pointed out.

"How could I forget," he grinned. Adena gave the best smile she could muster, which he clearly noticed.

"Everything okay?"

"Oh yeah. Just a, uh, rough practice and my friends are all, um, busy with…stuff," she finished lamely. She didn't want to seem like a whiner by explaining the whole situation to him.

"Yeah, I get that," he nodded.

"So…where's Carrie?" Adena asked, it was natural for Carrie to be trailing close behind Jace most of the time. The few times that she had seen him since they arrived, he was always with the perky brunette. She was their female Rick.

"She's making sure all of the court timewasproperly been assigned. I'm just heading down to the beach to catch some waves," he explained, motioning to his surfboard.

"Oh, right," Adena felt like an idiot. Here she was, trying to make small talk with another person who was clearly busy.

"Well, have a good time," and she continued her journey up the steps. But his voice stopped her.

"Hey Adena," she turned back to him. He cocked his head to the side and gave her a lopsided grin.

"You wanna come?"

"I give up!" Adena shouted, slapping the water in defeat.

"No way," Jace laughed, wadding through the water to where she stood.

"Come on, you can do it."

"That's the tenth time I've fallen," she reminded him as sheadjusted her red bikini top. She followed her board to the shore and collapsed on the sand. He sat down next to her with his surfboard and they stared out at the water. They had been down at the beach for several hours and the sun was getting low in the sky, set to disappear below the horizon in another half an hour.

"You're doing amazing for your first time," he said.

"Then why can't I stay up?" Adena asked.

"Okay, get up," Jace said, getting to his feet. He lay out their surfboards side by side in the sand and stood on his.

"You need to have the right stance, to stay balanced on the board." Adena mirrored his position.

"Good, okay, now, arms out," he said, grabbing her outstretched hand and jumping behind her onto her board. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"Lower your body a bit more, and just concentrate…"

_'Do it for them, don't be afraid,' _said the voice in her head.

"Feel the wave," Jace insisted, moving her arms ever so slightly in different directions. Adena tried to focus her mind and imagine the wave.

_'Have to make this right, have to win, do it for them,'_

"Take control," his voice was steady and strong.

_'Bigger, faster, stronger.'_

"You feel it?" he asked.

'_Do it for them, do it for you.' _

Adena opened her eyes and turned to face him.

"Yeah, I really do," she couldn't help the smile that was spreading across her face. Jace grinned.

"Good. Looks like we have time for one more run," he picked up his surfboard and handed it to her.

"It's all you, you can do it."

Adena tightened her grasp on it and took a running start, diving in and surfacing. She quickly brushed her wet hair off of her face and began to paddle out.

"Paddle hard!" Jace called from the water's edge. Her arms were growing tired from fighting against that water. And there it was, her wave.

"Get ready!" he shouted.

_'Bigger, faster, stronger'_

Adena turned and braced herself for the wave. As she rode it out, she struggled to get up.

"Come on Adena!" Jace yelled from the shore.

"Feel the wave!"

She tried desperately to steady herself in standing position. Crouching lower, she tried to find what Jace had said.

_'Take control, feel the wave.'_

Adena got to the point where she usually fell off and tried hard to concentrate.

_'Take control, make it right, take control of your life Adena! Do it for them! Do it for you!'_ Her mind screamed.

"That's it Adena! You're doing it!" Jace shouted. A look of victory crossed his face, his blue eyes glowing.

"Jace! Jace look! I'm still on!" Adena couldn't stop the giddy grin on her face. The board teetered slightly as it slid onto the sand in front of him and she jumped off it straight into his arms. She screamed victoriously as he spun her around.

"I did it! I can't believe I stayed on! I rode my first wave!" Adena hugged him tightly. He let her down but she kept spinning on her own, arms in the air and head thrown back to the sky.

"You have no idea how good this feels."

They picked up their surfboards and started back up the beach towards the school.

"Well kid, you did good," Jace grinned, pulling Adena into a one armed hug as they hiked through the sand.

"You rode the wave. You were the wave."

Author's Note: 

Yes? No? Ok, we already had the whole Cameron/Tanis and some Cody/Squib (with more to come), and I felt that Adena wasn't getting enough love and attention here. Hence, this chapter; I couldn't very well let poor Adena be ignored. And Jace made another appearance, as promised. I hope you guys like it! If you don't, that's okay, constructive criticism is good too. Questions, comments, concerns? Review and let me know!


	8. For My Love

Disclaimer: Yeah, we all know I don't own anything. The song in the last part is 'For My Love' by Bethany Dillon. I highly recommend that you listen to it while reading for the full effect; it's just not the same without it. If you can't download it, I think it's on her website. Or just buy the cd because it's freakin' amazing!

"Okay, give me ten push ups and you can go," Gunnerson barked at his four exhausted players.

"You cannot be serious," Adena whined. He shot her a look and she dropped to the ground with a sigh.

"But we've been winning our matches!" Tanis pointed out as she lifted her body with her arms, using the last bit of strength she had. Gunnerson squatted down next to her on the court.

"Exactly," he hissed.

"We can't go down now! We've worked two hard! We can take them!"

"YEAH!" Tanis shouted, suddenly all pumped up at the thought of winning. She quickly finished her push-ups and jumped to her feet. Coach Gunnerson laughed as he left the court. From the bottom row of the bleachers, Cody grinned as she snapped shots of Tanis as she kneeled down beside each of them, egging them on. Tanis was still bouncing up and down and shouting at them when Cameron, exasperated, finally got to his feet. He didn't stop, he didn't hesitate a second before walking straight over to her, placing one hand on the side of her face and the other on the small of her back, capturing her mouth with his. Adena screamed and collapsed onto the ground in surprise. Squib rolled onto his back, laughing beyond control and Cody just stared at them in shock. Tanis wrapped her arms around Cameron's neck and pulled him closer.

"OH…MY…GOD!" Adena shrieked. Finally, the two pulled apart and Tanis bit her lip with a smile, burying her face shyly in Cameron's shoulder. He simply wrapped his arms around her, as Adena finally managed to get up from the ground.

"I mean, we suspected," she said.

"But, how could we… oh my god! This is great! About time!" she patted Cameron's shoulder as she left the court, still shaking her head in disbelief at what she had just witnessed.

_**15/Love**_

"Guess who," a pair of hands covered Adena's eyes and stopped her short in the hallway. She smiled, knowing immediately who it was.

"Hey Jace," he removed his hands and stood in front of her.

"Caught your game today, not bad at all," he looked at her with admiration.

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself."

"ADENA!" A voice shouted. She turned to see Squib running down the hall, literally dragging Cody with him.

"Go get ready! We're going out to celebrate!" he ran with Cody right past her.

"Celebrate what!" she shouted after him.

"Cameron and Tanis, tennis, winning, who cares!" he shrugged, slowing down a little.

"How are we going to get out?" she asked Cody, as Squib dragged her away.

"Who knows? He's thought of something!" she called before they disappeared around the corner. Jace's brow was furrowed.

"Are they always like that?" he laughed.

"Cody and Squib?" she asked, glancing in the direction of where they had just vanished.

"Oh yeah."

"So, I guess you better go and get ready then," he said.

"So should you," Adena turned on her heel and began walking towards her room.

"I wasn't aware I was invited."

"Well, you just were," she smirked.

"See you at nine," she gave a little wave over her shoulder before rounding the corner as well.

_**15/Love**_

"We're so going to get busted," Tanis breathed as she climbed through the window and hopped down onto the ground.

"You have no faith in me at all," Squib sighed as he helped Cody down, the last one climb through. They crouched on the ground and began to crawl underneath the other dorm windows. It was already dark out, but the moon was letting off a brilliant shine in the clear night sky. Suddenly, Squib stopped, causing the others to all domino into each other.

"OW! Squib!" Adena whispered harshly.

"Shhhhh!" Squib waved his hand at her. They all huddled close together, pressing up against the wall. Coach Gunnerson strolled up the steps and disappeared into the school. Cameron let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close. Squib, are you sure this is such a good idea?" he asked.

"Will you guys stop asking me that!" he demanded, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, the car is right there. Cody moved it this afternoon. On the count of three, we are going to, silently, run to the car. Got it?" he glanced around at them, waiting for someone to object.

"One…two…three!" and he was off like a shot with the others following close behind. As soon as Squib was in the driver's seat, he turned on the engine and sped out of the parking lot. Cody was beside him, laughing and drifting her hand outside the window.

"So…" Jace panted from the back seat, trying to get his breath back.

"So you guys do this sort of thing… all the time? You seem pretty experienced… at this whole sneaking out thing."

"You have no idea," Squib grinned.

_**15/Love**_

"This is great!" Cody shouted at Squib over the noise. The live band played on as she watched Cameron, Tanis, Adena, and Jace out on the floor.

"Yeah," Squib agreed, not taking his eyes off of her. He drank in the sight of her in her little black dress, her hair flipped out with a white flower in it. She blushed slightly when she noticed him staring at her.

"So," she said, leaning forward so she could talk to him in a normal volume.

"Are we…okay?"

"I don't know, are we?"

"We can't change what happened, whether it meant nothing or not," she whispered.

"I know," he nodded.

"But the question is, do you believe me?" he searched her eyes for the answer he wanted.

"I do…but where does that leave us?" she asked. In the background, the crowd clapped as the band finished one song and began another. Squib stared at her for a moment before standing and offering her his hand.

"Wherever we want."

_Walk towards me  
I want to hear  
The heavens singing over you  
When you breathe  
And look at me  
I want to be captured by you_

Cody drew in a sharp breath as Squib's hand rested on the small of her back. One touch, that was all it took. Could she do this? She wasn't sure. 

Gaze into my eyes  
And let me know you'd fight  
Thousands, for my love  
Slip your hand in mine  
Ask me to dance with you tonight  
Just ask me for my love

Holding Cody just felt so right to him. He breathed in her scent, wishing he could capture this entire moment, not just the image, but everything. He wanted to remember how this felt, the sound of his own heart beating, the way Cody smelled, the touch of her hair on his cheek. 

I want to hide  
What's deep in my eyes  
I'm scared to be known by you  
But when I turn my head  
And see you there  
I want to be pursued

Adena watched the two of them from where she and Jace were on the floor. It was getting hard to concentrate on them with Jace being so close.

'Don't do this to yourself,' Adena thought.

'It'll only mean heartache for both of you.' She smiled sadly to herself as he pulled her closer, his arms tightening around her waist. 

Gaze into my eyes  
And let me know you'd fight  
Thousands, for my love  
Slip your hand in mine  
Ask me to dance with you tonight  
Just ask me for my love

"So," Tanis smirked.

"Is this our song?"

"I dunno," Cameron said thoughtfully.

"Do we want a song?"

"Why not," Tanis laughed, resting her forehead against his. 

A dream I won't wake from  
A story that will never end  
The ground your feet walk on  
Let me be there, let me be there

"I can't do this," Cody whispered, pulling back slightly. Her head was spinning out of control.

"Cody," Squib searched her eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong. Had he done something?

"Squib, what are we doing?" she asked sadly.

"I don't know, what are we doing?"

"Will you stop answering my questions with questions!" Cody demanded angrily.

"Tell me what we're doing!"

He couldn't take this anymore, it was now or never. Forget the future, this was right now. He'd deal with the consequences later.

"This," he said and leaned down capture her lips. Cody was in shock for a moment, but once she recovered, she kissed him back with everything she had. They had stopped dancing and Squib held her face between both of his hands, trying to tell her years of feelings in one action. This kiss was even better than the first. And this time, things were definitely going to be different. This time, he wasn't walking away from the edge. He'd already gone over, he was falling to where eventually the ground would rise up to meet him. But for now, he was just falling…and it had never felt better.

_Gaze into my eyes  
Let me know you'd fight  
Thousands, for my love  
Slip your hand in mine  
Ask me to dance with you tonight  
Just ask me for my love_

Author's Note:

Finally, it is here! Sorry it has been so long! This week has been horrible! Urgh, people suck, they are so mean! But that's beside the point. Anyhow, I will try to be better about updating! Well, there is definitely going to be some drama and aftermath after this one! It should be good! Well let me know what you think and I hope everyone is having a very Happy Easter!


	9. Getting It Right

Disclaimer: Yeah, if I owned this show, season two would be looking veeerrryyy different right now.

This chapter is dedicated to ChubbyPony who reminded me that it is important not to let being busy get in the way of one of the things I love most in the world, writing. Your encouragement has been fantastic; I have really enjoyed talking to you! Thanks for believing in me!

15/Love

"God, is it always this hot here?" Cody wondered out loud as she riffled through her bag for more film. The temperature seemed to be increasing steadily since the day that they arrived. When she received no answer, Cody glanced over her shoulder at Adena who was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling.

"Hey I'm going to go take some pictures of Cameron's game, you want to come?"

"No thanks."

"Oh, Jace said if you wanted another surf lesson, he would be down at the beach this afternoon," Cody loaded a roll of film into her camera.

"I don't think so."

Cody took her camera off and placed it on the dresser. She came and sat next to Adena on the bed.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Adena gave her a strange look.

"Why would you ask?"

"Well, you've been only leaving the room to go to practice and to games, you don't want to even come watch Cam's game with me, and you've been avoiding Jace since the other night. What's going on? I thought you liked Jace?"

"I never said that," Adena rolled off the bed and went over to the dresser.

She opened the drawer and began folding her clothes.

"Really? You're folding your clothes," Cody pointed out with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, how does that relate?"

"You never fold your clothes, which means you're just trying to avoid talking about it. Come on Adena, I thought we could talk about this stuff," Cody got up and came over to lean on the dresser in front of her. Adena sighed, tossing the shirt down in the drawer.

"You ever think about them?" She didn't even need to say their names, in fact they rarely ever did, Cody knew who she was talking about.

It was like they all believed that if no one said their names, it wouldn't hurt as much. It was like a bruise that never went away, a sensitive spot that hurt when you touched it.

"Is that what this is about?"

"Just answer the question," Adena demanded.

"All the time, you know that," Cody answered softly, searching Adena's face for some type of explanation for the painful subject.

"Look at how we lost them, how they lost everything. Look at how it left us!

"Adena," Cody whispered.

"I don't ever want to feel like that again Cody, I don't ever want to lose someone like that again. A part of me died that day," her voice cracked and

Adena felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"That was nobody's fault; no one could have ever predicted that. They would never want you to feel this way because of them."

"I just feel so guilty! Having what they never had! They loved each other Cody and they never got the chance to tell each other! They should be here, together, winning this tournament!" Adena insisted. Her body began to shake with sobs and Cody pulled her into her arms.

"You're never going to avoid losing people, it just happens no matter how much you want to stop it. All you can do is keep on living, it's the only way they would have wanted it. They knew how the other felt, and now they're together forever. They would never want you to hold back because of them, Megs and

Sebastian loved you and they would want you to be happy," Cody insisted, trying to offer the only comfort she knew herself. She pulled back a bit so she could look Adena in the eye.

"They would both approve of Jace. Especially Meg, she would say he has a nice ass," Cody joked. Adena cracked a smile, wiping her tears.

"She would too," Adena rolled her eyes, choking out a laugh.

"What about you and Squib?"

"I dunno," Cody sighed.

"Cody, if you want to be with him, tell him. Don't let that stupid thing with

Tanis stop you," Adena insisted, walking into the bathroom to fix her now

dishevelled appearance.

"I don't really know what's stopping me. Fear, I guess." Cody sat down on the bed again, gripping the edge on the mattress.

"Fear?" Adena called from the bathroom.

"Yeah, he just makes me feel…I dunno, it's stupid. I've never felt like this, that's all. It scares me. Squib is one of my best friends," Cody shrugged and focused her eyes on the floor.

"Cody, you love him, I know you do, so don't even think about denying it,"

Cody shut her mouth which she had just opened to protest.

"Just stop over thinking it. And for God's sake, stop testing him! You too are meant for each other okay! Besides, Squib is horrible with tests," Adena joked, walking out of the bathroom as she finished putting her hair in a ponytail.

Cody could see that she was returning to her old self.

"True," Cody laughed. Adena grabbed her flip-flops and began hopping around on one foot, trying to get them on.

"Are you going to come with me?"

"Nope."

"Where are you going then?" she asked, confused.

"To the beach," Adena smiled and shut the door behind her.

15/Love

The soft sand caught her as she landed on it, the sun resting on the horizon.

Shading her eyes, Adena searched the water for Jace. She finally spotted him, just getting up on his board to catch a wave. He rode it all the way to the shore, spotting her as he hopped onto the wet sand.

"Hey, you made it," he grinned, jogging up the beach to where she sat. The last of the day's light reflected off the beads of water on his skin.

"How are the waves?" she asked, not able to think of anything else to say.

"Wanna find out?"

"What? Like surf, right now?" he got to his feet and offered her his hand. She looked at it, immediately thinking of turning him down, until she remembered Cody's words. She bit her lip and with every bit of strength she had, placed her hand in his.

15/Love

"Can I come in?" Squib asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yeah, sure," Cody glanced up from where she sat on the floor. Shutting the door behind him, he sat on the bed behind her, peering over he shoulder.

"What are those?" he asked. Cody had some photographs spread out across the floor.

"Just some pictures I've taken since we got her. Adena went out, so I'm taking advantage of the space." Squib leaned forward and picked up one off of the floor in front of him. His lips curved into a small smile as he stared at it.

"What?" Cody asked, trying to see the picture.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering who took this," Squib said, handing the picture to her. It was a black and white photo of the two of them from the night they had camped. They were both asleep, Cody's hands resting on his chest along with her head, which was tucked under his chin and his arms wrapped around her tightly. They fit together perfectly.

"It was probably Adena," Cody shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about the whole situation. She'd meant to take that picture out of the pile, he was never supposed to see it, no one was. She went to put it back in the pile, when he stopped her.

"Wait," his hand grasped her shoulder.

"Can I keep it?"

"Um, sure…I guess," she gave it to him, trying to ignore the sensation his hand on her bare shoulder was sending through her. Maybe Adena was right; maybe it was time to just let what was going to happen, happen. Maybe it was time to stop testing him. She took a deep breath as he came to sit on the floor next to her.

"I have to tell you something," she blurted out. He gave her a funny look.

"Okay." She turned to face him and rubbed her sweaty palms over her knees. She had a feeling it was more than just the humid air causing that.

"So, remember that time we went in the boat and…you know…"

"Yeah, of course," he smiled.

"Well…I lied," she finished lamely. For once in her life, Cody just couldn't seem to find the right words.

"What are you talking about?" he searched her face, confused.

"I lied…when you came to me and I said that it didn't mean anything, that we were just caught up in the situation, I was lying. I just was afraid and it was all happening so fast, and then the thing with Tanis happened and I didn't know what to do because I was hurt and confused and no one has ever made me feel like this and-" the words were spilling out so fast that Cody didn't know how to stop them. Fortunately, Squib did. Crossing the small space between them, he captured her lips. For the third time, he left her breathless. His hands came up to cup her face and he got up on his knees, pulling her with him, needing to be closer to her. Cody gripped his forearms, trembling, and attempting to steady herself. After a while, Squib pulled away slightly, both of them panting heavily and neither of them moving.

"It's okay," Squib whispered, his mouth hovering above hers.

"Because I lied too."

"Oh yeah?" she smiled.

"You know…this is kind of like… that day… in the dark room."

"I guess it is," he brushed a piece of hair off of her face, grinning widely.

"Except…I think we got it right this time."

15/Love

Author's Note:

Oh my gosh, I know it has been forever, please don't hate me! I have just been super, super busy. But I'm back now! I promise! So please review and let me know what you think!


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